Hydrogenated resin esters and their production



Patented Aug. 18,1936 v 2,051,796

. UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HYDROGENATED RESIN ESTERS AND THEIR PRODUCTION Irvin W. Humphrey, Wilmington, lJeL, assignor to Hercules Powder Company, Wilmington,

., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application December 2, 1929, 183;?! No. 411,201. Renewed September 22,

35 Claims. (Cl. 260-9940) This invention relates to hydr enated esters an alcohol, acetic acid ethyl acetate, an ether or of resin acids, for example, or abietic acid, pimaric the like, under pressure. acid, the fossil rosin acids, etc... and more spe- A similar reaction may be carried out at room cifically relates to the hyrogenated polyhydric altemperature using palladium as a catalyst. In cohol esters of these acids and their production. this case the glycerol ester is dissolved in a suit- Hydrogenated polyhydrlc alcohol esters of resin able solvent, for examplaethyl acetate, rendered acids are found to have substantial advantages in acid by the addition of a small proportion 01' acid. the commercial arts over the generally known esas acetic acid. To five parts 01' glycerol ester 01' ter gums. These hydrogenated esters, for exrosin dissolved in ethyl acetate one part 01' palsame time they possess all of the advantageous log off the catalyst and evaporating the solvent features of the mown ester gums. a hydrogenated glycerol ester results, about 90% The hydrogenated polyhydrlc alcohol esters in hydrogenated.

accordance with this invention may be produced In carrying out the hydrogenation or th polyby esteriiying a hydrogenated resin acid, as for hydric alcohol esters pressures may be used from example, dihydroor tetrahydro abietlc or pimaric atmospheric pressure up to around 2,000 pounds a resin acid, as abletic acid, pimaric acid, etc., stances involved and the products formed, as well may be esterified with a polyhydric alcohol and as the activity of the catalyst. the unsaturated ester subsequently hydrogenated, Instead of preparing 9. glycerol ester and then which is a preferable procedure. nating. the resin acid may be first hy- While hydrogenation of the polyhydric alcohol drogenated and then esterifled with the polyesters is usually efi'ected in the liquid phase, volahydric alcohol. As an illustration of this process, tile rosin esters may be hydrogenated in the vapor either the hydrogenated resin or resin acid, as phase dihydroor tetrahydro abletic acid is heated, if

As a further alternative, hyd ifogenation may be desired. under pressure in an aut lav th combined with esterification, as by heating the polyhydric alcohol,1or example, glycerol or glycol resin acid with a polyhydric alcohol at atmoseither with or without an esteriflcation catalyst pheric or higher pressure, depending upon the such as boric anhydride. Alternatively an alkali boiling point of the alcohol, in the presence of a salt of the hydrog nated acid may be treated with suitable catalyst, as platinum, nickel, palladium. a en de vat ve of t e a coho fo e amp e. etc., while treating with hydrogen. v a chlorohydrin such as glycolchlorhydrin .or

As an illustration of the preparation of a ly rol d ohlorhydrin, etc. 4.0 hydrogenated ester by hydrogenatingapolyhydric It is also possible to eflect the hydrogenation alcohol rosin ester, about 2% of catalytic nickel and esterification simultaneously, for example, by is added to the glycerol ester of abietic acid, pretreating the polyhydric alcohol, the unsaturated with, for example, glycerol, and the ester heated dium,'or platinum, with hydrogen under pressure to a temperature of about 250 C. under atmosand at elevated temperatures.

pheric pressure for about 15 hours while passing The various alternative hydrogenation cata. into the ester a current of hydrogen. The time lysts have already been referred to. The other required for hydrogenation may be shortened to conditions of the reaction depend upon the prodabout two hours by carrying out the treatment at uct desired, the reagents, etc., and may vary conan increased pressure; say 200 pounds to the siderably. While specific examples involving square inch. In this manner about of the glycerol, glycol, or their derivatives have been re- In effecting the hydrogenation, the ester may, of similar reactions occur using other less com n adapted as ingredients V ance with the invention may In the hydrogenation of an ester possessing two unsaturated bonds, for example, abietic esters, it is found that the ester absorbs hydrogen rather rapidly until about 1.2 double bonds of the two double bonds is saturated forming the dihydro-derivative; thereafter only a little more hy-. drogen may be absorbed under the usual conditions of hydrogenation. The formation of the tetrahydro-derivatives may be favored by using a solvent, or by hydrogenating for a longer period under pressure, or at higher temperature.

The hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol esters in accordance with this invention are admirably for coating compositions, as varnishes, lacquers and the like, in substitution for unsaturated resin esters and fossil resins, and in some cases are found valuable as plasticizers. Comparative tests show that films containing hydrogenated polyhydric esters of the resin acids do not become yellow or crack with aging as readily as do films containing nonhydrogenated esters. Hydrogenation of the glycerol ester, for example, is an improvement even if only 50% of the double bonds are saturated with hydrogen, but it is preferable to carry the hydrogenation as near to completion as practical, preferably at least to 75% saturation.

It will be understood that the esters in accordbe produced from resin acids, as contained in resins, as rosin, fossil resins, etc., or from the resin acids as such, as abietic acid, pimaric acid, etc.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new product, a hydrogenated glycerol ester of a resin acid.

2. As a new product, abietate.

3. The method of preparing a hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acid which includes forming the abietic ester and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyl groups of the ester.

4. The method of preparing a hydrogenated glycerol abietic acid ester which includes forming glycerol abietate and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyl groups of the ester.

5. The method of preparing a hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol ester of a resin acid which includes forming a resin acid ester of a polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating the ester by heating it with hydrogen in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.

6. The method of preparing a hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol ester or abietic acid which includes forming an abietic ester of a polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst.

'7. The method of preparing a polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acid which includes forming an abietic ester of a polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyl groups of the ester by heating itwith hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst.

8. The method of preparing a hydrogenated polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of a polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst.

9. The method of preparing a hydrogenated hydrogenated glycerol hydrogenated 75 aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acid which includes forming an abietic ester of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyi groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst.

10. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst.

11. The method of preparing a hydrogenated glycol abietic acid ester which includes forming a glycol abietate and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds of the abietyl radical of the ester.

12. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acid which includes forming an abietic ester of a glycol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmospheric- 2000 pounds in the presence of a base metal hydrogenation catalyst.

13. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of a glycol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmospheric-2000 pounds in the presence of a base metal hydrogenation catalyst.

14. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of ethylene glycol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmospheric- 2000 pounds in the presence of a nickel hydrogenation catalyst.

15. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acid which includes forming an abietic ester of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in abietyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmospheric-2000 pounds in the presence of a base metal hydrogenation catalyst.

16. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmosphericP-2000 pounds in the presence of a base metal catalyst.

17. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of glycerol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure in the presence of a base metal hydrogenation catalyst.

18. The method of preparing a hydrogenated aliphatic polyhydric alcohol ester of rosin which includes forming a rosin ester of glycerol and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in acyl groups of the ester by heating it with hydrogen under pressure within the range atmospheric-2000 pounds in the presence of a base metal hydrogenation catalyst.

19. As a new product a polyhydric alcohol ester of abietic acidunsaturation of bonds in the'abietyl groups which have been reduced by hydrogenation.

20. As a new product a polyhydric alcohol ester v 01' rosin unsaturation of bonds in the acyl groups genation catalyst.

23. As a new product a rosin acid ester of an aliphatic p'olyhydric alcohol unsaturation of groups or which have been reduced by hydrogenation.

24. As a new product a rosinacid ester of glycerol unsaturation of bonds in the acyl groups of which have been reduced by hydrogenation.

25. As a new product a resin acid ester 01' a polyhydric alcohol unsaturation of bonds in the acyl groups of which have been reduced by hydrogenation.

28. The method or preparing a hydrogenated ducing the unsaturation 3 polyhydric aliphatic alcohol ester oi rosin which includes forming a rosin ester and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in the acyl groups 01' said ester. v

29. The method of preparing a hydrogenated glycerol resin acid ester which includes forming a glycerol resin acid ester and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds in "the acyl groups of said ester.

30. The method of preparing a hydrogenated resin acid ester of a polyhydric aliphatic alcohol in the acyl radical in the presence of a noble metal hydrogenation catalyst. v of preparing a hydrogenated resin acid ester of ethylene glycol, which includes forming an ethylene glycol resin ester and reoi' bondsin the acyl groups with hydrogen.

32. The method of preparing a hydrogenated glycol abietlc acid ester which includes forming ethylene glycol abietate and hydrogenating unsaturated bonds of the abietyl radical oi.- the ester.

33. As a new product an ethylene glycol ester of abletic acid unsaturation of bonds in the abietyl groups of which have been reduced by hydrogenation.

34. Asa new product a pimaric acid ester 01 an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol unsaturation of bonds in the acyl groups of which is reduced by hydrogen.

35. As a new product a resin acid ester oi an aliphatic polyhydric alcohol, the ester having a. hydrogen saturation of about 50%-75%.

' IRVIN w. HUMPHREY. 

